Published: Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10:27 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10:27 p.m.

About half a dozen Mills River residents told Town Council Thursday they are concerned about the flooding that took place over the weekend on their properties, which surround land being developed into The Lodge at Mills River.

Ground was broken in March for The Lodge, a 34,000-square-foot, 50-bed nursing home facility being constructed on N.C. Highway 191. The facility will occupy about 10 acres of property across from Laurel Terrace Road. SanStone Health and Rehab, the parent company of Henderson-Beystone Healthcare Properties, is building the nursing home.

Mills River Town Council approved a special-use permit in January following a public hearing during which several nearby property owners expressed concerns about excess stormwater runoff from the nursing home coming onto their properties.

The project was allowed to move forward after Mike Deloach, owner and vice president of SanStone, along with William Lapsley of William Lapsley and Associates, the engineering firm working with the company, assured property owners and council members that they would resolve the problem of runoff.

More than seven inches of rain has fallen at the Asheville Regional Airport so far in June, about 5.84 inches above normal, according to the National Weather Service. More than 3.4 inches of rain fell Friday, breaking a daily record set 144 years ago, followed by 1.48 inches on Sunday that broke another record for the date.

NCDOT has said it wants to install a 42-inch pipe across Highway 191 to control flooding, but has yet to make the installation. Once that work was done, The Lodge developer was to extend the 42-inch pipe to Laurel Terrace. The Lodge’s engineer also said in an email that NCDOT would install two 30-inch pipes under Laurel Terrace to connect to a property owner’s 24-inch pipe to further alleviate flooding.

Mayor Roger Snyder asked City Manager Jamie Laughter to contact NCDOT for a timeframe for the installations and share that information with concerned residents.

Hooper land purchase

Council members discussed the possibility of purchasing more than 20 acres next to Town Hall owned by Dexter Hooper.

In early June, Town Manager Jaime Laughter met with Hooper to discuss the potential sale. The town has no specific plans for the property, but is entering preliminary discussions at the prompting of Hooper, according to Laughter.

The original asking price was $600,000, but an appraisal came in at $340,000. Hooper revised his asking price down to $400,000.

According to a report by Laughter that cites Mills River attorney Sharon Alexander, the state constitution prohibits the town from paying more than fair-market value.

“Each piece of real property is unique, resulting in some pieces being more valuable to the town than such property would be to other parties,” Alexander told Laughter.

“If this is the case, the town may, at times, pay more than appraised value for such property. Even then, the differential should not be more than 10 to 15 percent and the unique location or character of the property and its particular value to the town should be documented well. The reasons for paying more should be discussed in an open meeting and documented in minutes in detail.”

Hooper requested the town relinquish a right of way along a gravel driveway from Route 191, saying that in exchange he would decrease his asking price to $390,000. He also asked that an existing lease-holder of the property be permitted to remain until the town develops the property after transfer of ownership for a minimum of five years. Hooper asked that a metal barn used by the lease-holder not convey with the land and that the property always be kept open for public use.

Alexander noted that an appraiser would need to evaluate how Hooper’s requests would affect the value of the property before the town could move ahead.

After a brief discussion, council decided to put debate on the agenda for next month’s meeting.

<p>About half a dozen Mills River residents told Town Council Thursday they are concerned about the flooding that took place over the weekend on their properties, which surround land being developed into The Lodge at Mills River. </p><p>Ground was broken in March for The Lodge, a 34,000-square-foot, 50-bed nursing home facility being constructed on N.C. Highway 191. The facility will occupy about 10 acres of property across from Laurel Terrace Road. SanStone Health and Rehab, the parent company of Henderson-Beystone Healthcare Properties, is building the nursing home. </p><p>Mills River Town Council approved a special-use permit in January following a public hearing during which several nearby property owners expressed concerns about excess stormwater runoff from the nursing home coming onto their properties.</p><p>The project was allowed to move forward after Mike Deloach, owner and vice president of SanStone, along with William Lapsley of William Lapsley and Associates, the engineering firm working with the company, assured property owners and council members that they would resolve the problem of runoff.</p><p>More than seven inches of rain has fallen at the Asheville Regional Airport so far in June, about 5.84 inches above normal, according to the National Weather Service. More than 3.4 inches of rain fell Friday, breaking a daily record set 144 years ago, followed by 1.48 inches on Sunday that broke another record for the date.</p><p>NCDOT has said it wants to install a 42-inch pipe across Highway 191 to control flooding, but has yet to make the installation. Once that work was done, The Lodge developer was to extend the 42-inch pipe to Laurel Terrace. The Lodge's engineer also said in an email that NCDOT would install two 30-inch pipes under Laurel Terrace to connect to a property owner's 24-inch pipe to further alleviate flooding. </p><p>Mayor Roger Snyder asked City Manager Jamie Laughter to contact NCDOT for a timeframe for the installations and share that information with concerned residents.</p><p>Hooper land purchase </p><p>Council members discussed the possibility of purchasing more than 20 acres next to Town Hall owned by Dexter Hooper.</p><p>In early June, Town Manager Jaime Laughter met with Hooper to discuss the potential sale. The town has no specific plans for the property, but is entering preliminary discussions at the prompting of Hooper, according to Laughter.</p><p>The original asking price was $600,000, but an appraisal came in at $340,000. Hooper revised his asking price down to $400,000. </p><p>According to a report by Laughter that cites Mills River attorney Sharon Alexander, the state constitution prohibits the town from paying more than fair-market value. </p><p>“Each piece of real property is unique, resulting in some pieces being more valuable to the town than such property would be to other parties,” Alexander told Laughter. </p><p>“If this is the case, the town may, at times, pay more than appraised value for such property. Even then, the differential should not be more than 10 to 15 percent and the unique location or character of the property and its particular value to the town should be documented well. The reasons for paying more should be discussed in an open meeting and documented in minutes in detail.”</p><p>Hooper requested the town relinquish a right of way along a gravel driveway from Route 191, saying that in exchange he would decrease his asking price to $390,000. He also asked that an existing lease-holder of the property be permitted to remain until the town develops the property after transfer of ownership for a minimum of five years. Hooper asked that a metal barn used by the lease-holder not convey with the land and that the property always be kept open for public use.</p><p>Alexander noted that an appraiser would need to evaluate how Hooper's requests would affect the value of the property before the town could move ahead.</p><p>After a brief discussion, council decided to put debate on the agenda for next month's meeting.</p>